Ross Allen
5/22/12
Sec. 4
Mrs. Dabrush


Narrative Essay

The history of basketball has really affected the world as it adapted to its surroundings. Basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith. The first basketball was played on January 20th, 1892 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The first person to score in a game was in the first game, William R. Chase was the first one to score after the game ended one to nothing. Although that was the first basketball game, the first professional game was won by the Trenton YMCA against the Brooklyn YMCA, and the score of that game was 15-1. Yale became the first college team to ever win a championship. The record for the Yale YMCA was 10-4(10 wins and 4 losses). The first team that was undefeated in a single season was the University of Minnesota finishing with an impressive 11-0. After that season president Theodore Roosevelt urged colleges to form places where referees to train and learn the rules better due to all of the injuries throughout the games, and in 1910 the IAA or the Intercollegiate Athletic Association was formed. In the 1936-1937 season the SPHA’s considered folding or quitting the ABL (American Basketball League), but then Eddie Gottlieb convinced the team to continue to play basketball. In the 1937-1938 season the Intercollegiate Athletic Association announced that in the month of March they would hold a tournament to decide the team of champions for the college league. They made the college league’s name be changed to National Collegiate Athletic Association or the NCAA.

There once was a boy who is a freshman in high school named John Johnson, but his friends call him JJ. He lived in South Miami with his mom and his sister. His parents were divorced. His mother’s name is Maria, while his sister’s name is Bonny. JJ is older than his sister, he is 15 while his sister is only 8 years old. He had a overall great life. John’s favorite sport was basketball, and he made the JV team for his high school during his freshman year. JJ was amazing at basketball and a lot of people think that he has a future in the NBA as long as he continues to practice, and keeps his grades up to stay in the team. If he continues his progress he could make it so that he could earn a scholarship to a number of colleges around the USA. He could become a superstar in the NBA the way that he’s going, but there is just one issue, he is not the most intelligent kid. John Johnson has ADD and ADHD so this makes it harder for him than everyone else to keep his grades up. He has to make sure though that he keeps them up otherwise he will not earn any scholarship and makes it a lot harder for him to get accepted into a good college or the NBA, knowing how hard it is already to make the NBA. Although they think they might be able to win the championship in high school. This essay will tell the true story of John Johnson.

“Mom, do you know where my basketball shoes are? I’m sorry honey, I looked yesterday and I couldn’t find them anywhere, said John’s mom. UGHH, fine but I am going to hangout with some friends for a little bit if that’s okay with you, exclaimed JJ. It’s fines honey, go have some fun. Okay I will, bye.” JJ went to the basketball courts with his two best friends Timmy and Tommy. Timmy and Tommy were twin brothers who only lived about a couple blocks down from John, so it was easy to hangout for them. They could play basketball for hours and hours at a time. There usual routine was a little like this. “Hey, what’s up, Tim and Tom? Nothing really what has been up with you, said Tim? It’s been fine, but now I can’t find my basketball shoes.” Tim usually is the one that talks because Tom is not as outgoing. Although there are times where Tom talks, but usually it is to his family and his closest friends. “How about you Tom, how have you been? I’m fine, John. Okay then guys lets shoot around for a little bit then we can play a series of one on ones.” They all usually warmed up for about a half of an hour to 45 minutes. Towards the end though they would usually take half court shots or just deeper shots than normal.

After that usually Tom would sit out first and then the winner of each one on one would stay on the court while the loser would switch with the man sitting out, and the first to five point wins(going by ones and twos). To decide who gets the ball though they would shoot free-throws, and the first person to make theres in gets the ball. “Okay Tim, you can shoot for ball first. Thanks, JJ. (Tim makes his first free-throw) I get ball first, says Tim. (Tim drives to the basket with such aggression to attempt his reverse layup, but misses his attempt.) Aw, Dang it! There we go, that is one rebound, (as he shoots the ball from the top of the key) and that is one point. This matchup is unfair man you are amazing at basketball. It’s fair because you are good too, and I don’t even have my basketball shoes. Fine, then lets do this thing.” Tim then shoots the three pointer with John in his face with good defense, but Tim is such a good shooter so he manages to make the basket. “Yes, now I am winning by one.” Then JJ will try his luck with the three pointer, but misses. Although JJ misses, he goes after the rebound with such aggression while Tim is just waiting for the ball, and then John gets the ball. After he gets it he put it right back in, to be up by one. “Aw, dang it, I should have had that, says Tim. Well then, you got to go after those rebounds.” Then the ball was stolen from Tim as John scores to win the game, but then they realized that it was to dark to play another game. “Dang, we got to go home, it is really dark, exclaimed John. Sorry you didn’t get to play today Tom, you can play first next time we come here, okay. Okay, I guess that is alright.” They all went home to do their homework and then go to bed for school tomorrow. “Mom, I’m home from the basketball courts. How was your time honey? It was fine, but it got dark really quick, so it was kind of disappointing. Oh I’m sorry to hear that.” Then John went up to his room, did his homework and went to bed.

*The Next Day*

“John, wake up, it is time for school. Okay, hang on let me brush my teeth and get dressed.” John went into the bathroom after getting dressed to brush his teeth, and after he went downstairs to see what his mom had made him for breakfast. When he got down there he had saw that his mom had made him pancakes. “Thank you mom, I love pancakes. Your welcome, John.” Then John ate his pancakes and once he was full he packed up his stuff and headed of to school. “Bye mom, I’m going to school now. Bye honey!” As walked to school he met up with his friends Tim and Tom. They walked together at school. Then when they got there they waited outside their school until the bell rang. When the bell rang they entered their school and went to their homerooms. They were all in separate homerooms so that is when they split for the days. Then the announcements went on. “Hello school, today is a very special day, we will be giving out free Miami Heat tickets for game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.” Right then John knew he had to get those tickets no matter what he had to do. “There will be a raffle held today at the end of the day, you will have to sign up at lunchtime.” He had to wait until lunchtime, but he knew his best chance to get the tickets will to be one of the last people to sign up for the raffle. Therefore, his name will be on the top to be chosen for the tickets. He waited until lunchtime and as he watched everybody line up to be in the raffle, he watched and waited for the last five minutes for lunch. Then he signed up at the last opportunity to sign up. Then he calmly waited to the end of the day. When the afternoon announcements came on his heart started racing. His heart was racing as fast as a cheetah runs. “Congratulations to the winner of the game 7 Miami Heat game, as we pull out the winner, drum roll please. The winner of the game 7 tickets is, John Johnson, congratulations!” Oh my gosh, I won the tickets!” He raced to the center office to claim his prize, As he claimed his prize, his friends were waiting to congratulate him. Then they walked home.

*After walk home*

“Mom, I had the best day of my life today, guess what happened? I don’t know, what did happen? I won a raffle for game 7 tickets to the Miami Heat game. Oh my gosh that is great, we can go together!” As they planned their trip to the game they forgot that there were only two tickets, so John’s sister couldn’t go. So they planned to find a babysitter, and they did. The babysitter came to meet the mom, and plan their trip. On the night of the game the babysitter called and claimed she had food poisoning So then they were forced to go to the divorced husband to help babysit John’s little sister. The divorced husband’s name is Howard. He and John’s mom continued to argue a lot, therefore, they separated. He agreed to babysit to see his children. Then they went off to the game. It took them a while to get to the game, but they got there with plenty of time to watch the game. “This game is intense, I really like, said John. The Heat are winning and it is very fun to watch.” The game ended up all tied up at the end of the first quarter, but then Miami started to pull away, they continued to pull away until a Oklahoma run silenced the crowd to bring it within single digits after being down by 22, at the end of the third quarter. “This game is going to be close, I really want to see how this turns out, said Mrs. Johnson.” The game was then shortened until Oklahoma started winning with one minute left in the game. There was then five seconds left in the game and Oklahoma was up by two, but it was Oklahoma ball. Their point guard brought up the ball, but then Dwyane Wade stole the ball away with 3 seconds left, 3.....2.....1......SWISH!!! He hit the three to win the Miami Heat the championship, and was elected the MVP of the playoffs. “That was the greatest time of my life, said John I would agree with you on that, John”

“We won the championship I can’t believe it. We should have a party to celebrate. I don’t think we can John it is getting to late. That is true, mom, I would agree.” When they got home they were greeted by Howard and Bonny. They ended up having a little celebration and then everyone went to bed, but Howard was invited to stay. In the end, Howard and Maria got back together and then John had a normal family again.